As with any good idea, a solid foundation or base is key to delivering a high-quality product. When it comes down to smoothies and juice creations, the base is an important factor in overall taste. The base chosen for each item at The Pittsburgh Juice Company (PJC) is carefully evaluated. We look for bases that are nutritious, while still maintaining a taste profile that is enjoyable.
One of our most common juice bases at PJC is cucumber. Cucumber makes a beautiful juice base for several reasons. For starters, cucumber is incredibly hydrating. The lightness in taste provides a flavor that complements the other juice ingredients, as opposed to overpowering them. Good hydration paired with the high alkaline levels in cucumber enable us to better break down toxins and body fat and enables the body to better absorb nutrients. Cucumbers are rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals, like silica. If you haven’t heard of silica, it is a trace mineral that plays a major role in connective tissue health, while also promoting healthy hair, skin, and nails. The cucumber peel contains fiber, potassium, and magnesium, while the flesh is a great source of vitamins A, C, and folic acid. Because we juice the entire cucumber at PJC, you can get all of these nutritive benefits with each green juice!
Organic cashews are the base to many of PJC’s blended drinks, and for good reason! When blended with purified water, cashews transform into a thick, creamy, and delicious milk. Despite their comparatively low fiber content, they’re exceptionally nutrient dense nuts. Cashews contain Vitamin B, E, and K and are also composed of a wide variety of essential minerals. Essential minerals are nutrients needed by the body that must come from what you eat: calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, iron, and selenium. Due to cashews' naturally high fat content, people sometimes worry about calories. However when eaten in moderation, the health benefits of cashews are quite impressive. The healthy fats in cashews aid in the body's absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and are vital to the production of unsaturated fatty acids. There is evidence stating that the consumption of unsaturated fatty acids can help in lowering cholesterol levels (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257681/).
As you can see we have just barely brushed the surface of the health benefits of cucumbers and cashews, our two most used bases. However, each of our signature drinks contain ingredients with many more benefits than just the base. Each PJC recipe is carefully crafted with the overall nutrient value and taste in mind to provide convenient, nutrient-dense and refreshing juice and smoothie options at your finger tips.
"Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food." -Hippocrates
About The Author:
Noreen Minnock is a graduate of the Ohio State University with a degree in Nutritional Sciences. Passionate about the practice of food for healing, she hopes to pursue a career in naturopathic nutrition.
It is worth noting that we are juice enthusiasts, not doctors, and we do not offer medical advice of any kind. Nor do we offer medically supervised juice cleanses. If you have a medical condition or are on a prescription medication, we advise consulting your doctor before embarking on a cleanse.